Vee Cove, Isla Carmen to Isla Monserrate
Thursday morning……like no other one before. At 7.20 as the Then another hike ashore up the sanddunes into a dry ravine beyond, amazingly alive with desert plants of infinite variety. Cactus spring out of the most unlikely places – some stunted & barely alive, others huge and magnificent. We’re keen to see a rattle snake – certainly from our knowledge gleaned from the Saturday arvo (afternoon) flicks, it looks like rattler country. At 11.30 we were on our way motoring out of the bay. But not 10 minutes later, the sea erupts with dolphins. And then more dolphins & more again. Surely But it just keeps on getting better. Just a mile further on as we round Punta Perico, a spectacular But wait, there’s more. Just as we and Neely get our hearts & emotions back under control after the Sea Lion excitement, the calm in front of us is shattered again. We move on & celebrate the morning with high-ball bloody marys and Frankie creates another of her amazing lunches. Everyone is in great high spirits barely believing that we could have witnessed such a rich display. The wind picks up a little & we kill the motors and sail close hauled away Isla Carmen & towards our night anchorage, Isla Monserrate. An hour later, the wind dies completely & the water turns glassy. And then the Sea of Cortez amazing water show starts anew. A huge manta ray, this time definitely worthy of the US Air Force, cruises past not 30 feet from the boat, it’s mouth & eyes clearly visable. Every now & again, needle fish around 2 ft long launch themselves from the water and scitter across the water on their tails. Some travel 100 metres obviously hoping that the distance is enough to live another day. Just off our night’s anchorage, we pass some low lying rocks, obvious hang-outs for Sea Lions. They’re not home as we pass by but, by nightfall they’ve obviously returned, their unmistakable barks and honks continue on into the late night. . The north bay of Monserrate island is open to the north but perfect tonight in the dead calm. Ashore, we explore the limestone rock pools, alive with more marine life. Colorful crabs, the size of a hand scamper everywhere. They are amazingly agile and very fast. In one small pool, we watch a 4 ft long eel slither its way into what we assume is its ambush position. The crabs, though, seem to sense its presence and stay at a safe distance. _____ Richard for the Gato Loco Crew ______ Leg 1 April 11-19, Crew: Lowell, Bill, Dave – Puerto Penasco to San Carlos Subscribe to receive email when new Updates are posted click here Contact us at emailsailors07@gatolocosailing.com Read more about Gato Loco cruises www.GatoLocoSailing.com |